


A Little Taller

by seraphic_gate



Category: Tales of Zestiria
Genre: Gen, Post-Game(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-23
Updated: 2015-11-23
Packaged: 2018-05-03 01:03:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,121
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5270741
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/seraphic_gate/pseuds/seraphic_gate
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The village of Elysia is growing strong.  Mikleo and Edna have also grown.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Little Taller

In the years that passed, Elysia became a haven for those who would devote themselves to the old ways, a harmonious life between seraphim and humans. 

The air was crisp even in summer months. The humans who lived there walked about breathing puffs of air from their mouths as they exhaled, just as Sorey had done. This living was rough, but something about the incliment atmosphere only drew in more devout believers, as well as adventurers who'd like to see the shrine of Zenrus with their own eyes.

So much so, that a restaurant had been build on the peak to serve travelers. It was no more than a hovel drilled out of stone, just like Sorey's home and all the others. Mikleo was born roughly at the same time as Sorey, so he didn't know what the Seraphim of Elysia had lived like before they built those houses. But after Sorey's arrival, they'd taken it upon themselves to make Elysia resemble a human community for his sake, and now it really was. 

It was just as how Mikleo had begun eating human food. He wanted to do everything the same as (or better than) Sorey, even eating. Now even without Sorey, he had a taste for human food and would grow hungry if he didn't eat. He often visited the little cookery the humans had established for that reason. He'd sit in the corner with a mug of tea and a bowl of stew, and watch people live their lives.

“This place is lively,” said the voice of Edna. 

Mikleo jumped. Although familiar, her voice still put him on edge. Old habits. After nearly spilling a piping hot cup of tea, he took a deep breath and stood. “Edna, what brings you here?”

Edna shrugged. “I do what I want when I want.”

He knew that was all the explanation he would get. Edna tilted her head and examined him silently. It took him a moment to remember that she hadn't seen him in a few years. He was taller now, but still shorter than Sorey had been. He had longer hair tied up behind his head. His clothes were heavier. 

Edna was taller now too, but not much else about her had changed. She still had a headband in her hair, and wore a yellow dress. She looked more lithe and graceful standing with her umbrella closed and resting on her shoulder. Otherwise, she had the same mismatched items and the same dark look on her face. 

“I haven't seen you around Elysia in a while.”

“No, I haven't had any need to come here.” She hadn't needed to see Sorey again, is what he thought she meant. She turned and opened her umbrella.

“Not inside,” Mikleo balked and flailed his arms. “They can see you!”

“So?”

He tried to wrestle her umbrella away, but she only found this amusing and continued to twirl it around as he squirmed helplessly. A few of the humans in the establishment were looking at them and what they must have thought was a spectacle. Two mighty seraphim in a play fight.

“Humans consider it bad luck,” he said. “Plus, it's a really small building. You could put somebody's eye out. Come on, people are staring.”

“Oh, Meebo.” Edna folded the umbrella again and smirked at him. “They're not staring because of that.”

“Huh?”

Edna tilted her head again and glanced towards a table of women at the other side of the room. There were three of different ages, all hiding their laughter behind their hands, mirth in their eyes. 

“You see, there's a drawback to being visible,” she said, and looked back to Mickleo. “Now everyone knows how pretty you are.”

“What?” Mikleo furrowed his brow and hid his mouth behind the sleeve of his coat. 

“Oh, a cute blush to top it off. Sheepish little Meebo. Sheebo.”

“Stop that.”

Edna shrugged. “Now even humans can see your beauty. It's too bad you belong to Sorey.” 

That made Mikleo red in the face. He couldn't look at her any more. He turned and left the building. He walked down the worn path in the field where humans and seraphim alike had tread more and more in recent years, fists clenched at his sides, hiding his face from anyone who passed.

Edna followed after him. He could feel her walking in his steps just a few paces behind. “I wish you'd leave me alone,” he said, and stopped far enough away from the buildings that no one could hear him, human or seraphim.

It was dark and the stars in Elysia were always a sight. Sorey had loved them. They used to sit in this part of the field, just far enough away from the watchful eyes of the elder seraphim, in their own world. Now Edna stood there with her heavy boots and her umbrella, as if the stars might rain on her. 

“This whole town,” Edna said. She spoke softly now, twirling her umbrella over her shoulder. “Everyone here has the same dream as Sorey.”

Mikleo sighed. His hands slacked. “Yeah,” he said. “For humans and seraphim to live together.”

“I came here to check up on you.”

“Huh?” Mikleo laughed bitterly. “Did Lailah send you or something?”

“No. I came on my own. Just curious, you see. I've been in the west for a while. Not a lot of water features out there, you know. Even I get tired of looking at rocks all day.”

“I see.”

Mikleo sat on the grass where he used to sit with Sorey, and looked over the hills into the distance. From Elysia, at night, you could see the glimmer of white light shooting up into the clouds far in the distance past the Mabinogio Ruins. 

Edna plopped down beside him, disturbing grass and flowers. She was silent for a long while. It was hard to tell time any more. Then she finally spoke.

“For a long while, I couldn't stand to look at that.”

“The light?”

“Yeah. I mean. Who does he think he is napping while all of us work our butts off?”

Mikleo smiled, but he couldn't think of much to say. Again, time seemed stagnant. 

Then Edna stood again. “Well, come on.”

“Huh?”

Edna turned her disdainful look on him as he continued sitting. “If you hang out around here for too long, some stupid humans are going to start worshiping you. Let's go check out some ruins or something.”

Mikleo stood and brushed the grass away from his garments. “You don't want to do that.”

“Sure I do. I'm not going to ask you again, so come on.”

“Why?”

Edna smiled.

“I do what I want when I want.”


End file.
